


New Beginnings

by Xbowreedus



Category: The Walking Dead (Comics), The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Developing Relationship, F/M, First Time, Loss of Virginity, Older Man/Younger Woman, Oral Sex, Sweet Negan (Walking Dead), Teacher Negan (Walking Dead)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2018-02-27
Packaged: 2019-03-11 14:28:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13526217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xbowreedus/pseuds/Xbowreedus
Summary: After a rough life growing up, Mer has a chance meeting with a man that her family already knows. With a gain of family for her and a loss of family for him, they are both beginning a new normal of life.**I will be adding tags and characters as I get further into this**





	1. The Corn

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! This is my first story and something that I'm not sure anyone will actually enjoy. Please feel free to give me feedback and tips, but especially if this is something that you would like to see me continue! I have an outline of where I would like to see this go, but I wanted to make sure that everyone found it worth it first. Thank you! xx

"Dammit!"  
  
Meredith stood on her tippy toes reaching for the corn that, of course, was on the top shelf and pushed all the way to the back at her local grocery store.  
  
"Need a hand?"   
  
She heard this from behind her, causing her to quickly turn around. Met with the warmest eyes and brightest smile that she had ever seen, she nodded politely and stepped to the side.  
  
"How many do you need?" the man inquired, looking at her over his shoulder. Meredith looked down at her list before replying, "...Two to be safe, please."   
  
She watched him reach up taller than her 5' 3" build could even see. He handed her two cans and turned to watch her as she placed them in her cart and turn back to him.  
  
"Thank you,..."  
  
"Negan. " He offered with a handshake which she kindly accepted.  
  
"Well, thank you, Negan. I'm Meredith. Everybody calls me Mer though, and you just saved my night."  
  
Negan watched as she tucked a loose strand of dark hair behind her ear.  
  
"Ah, cooking a fancy dinner for the boyfriend?"  
  
"Not quite," Mer said as she shook her head. "I'm cooking for the people I'm staying...Uh, my parents. I'm cooking for my parents."  
  
Negan lifted an eyebrow and nodded at her response, watching her eyes travel to the bottle of wine and case of beer in his cart.  
  
"I, on the other hand," he said with a laugh, "am not cooking for my parents. I have a dinner party to get to, which I'm going to be late for if I don't hurry up. I couldn't walk away after seeing the struggle that you were putting up.   
  
He noticed the way that her cheeks slightly changed in color as she nervously laughed.   
  
"And just how long were you watching me struggle, Negan?"  
  
Negan put his hands in his pockets and raised his shoulders.  
  
"Uh, long enough to watch you cuss out the shelf and try to jump to reach the can. I figured I should probably help before you hurt yourself or started knocking shit over."

Mer laughed as they both grabbed onto their carts and started walking down the aisle toward the front of the store.  
  
"Well, I appreciate it. It was nice to meet you, Negan. Enjoy your dinner party."   
  
He smiled at her as she turned and headed toward the registers. His mind stayed on her blue eyes and dark hair as he picked up the last few things he needed and left the store.

 

\---------------------------------

"I'm home!" Mer loudly said into the house as she balanced the grocery bags in her arms.  
  
She kicked off her shoes at the front door as she saw Lydia come into eye sight, drying her hands on a towel from the kitchen.  
  
"Do you need help with those?" She offered as she took a couple of bags from Mer's arms.  
  
"Thank you so much. I hate making two trips." Mer laughed as she followed Lydia into the kitchen to set the bags on the island in the middle of the room. Lydia helped her unload the bags as they made small talk.

They were still getting to know each other. Lydia and her husband took 18 year old Mer in on a whim after hearing about her misfortune in the foster system from their Sheriff friend Rick Grimes. She was left on the side of the road when she was three. Nobody around and no trace of her drug addict parents, who would later be found dead from apparent overdoses at a motel 15 miles away from where Mer was found. She had been in and out of foster homes all of her life, with nowhere permanent to call home. She was about to foster out of the system, still in high school, and no where to go. No job wanted to hire a foster girl that may or may not stick around long enough to be an asset.  
Then came Simon and his wife Lydia. They showed up on Mer's 18 birthday, asking her to live with them. Since she was of legal age, she didn't need to be fostered through the system, so there were no legalities to their situation. She figured it couldn't be worse than what she has already been through and she just needed somewhere that she could get on her feet and finish high school. So, here she was, in a town that she knew nothing about. That was three weeks ago to the day and she had never fallen in love with a couple more than she did them. It was like she belonged to them and juding by the way that they treated her, she knew that they felt the same way. This was her new home. She had slipped up and called Lydia her mom the other day, and fumbled over her correction as she watched the woman's eyes fill up with tears.  
"Mer, you can call me that if you want. Or you don't have to. Just do whatever you're comfortable with." Mer felt herself holding back her own tears as she nodded. "Yes ma'am."

"So, how was the trip to the store?" Mer was grabbing a casserole dish out of the cabinet when she heard the question.  
  
"It was ...interesting. I got lost on the way there, but I managed to find it. I tried to be cocky and not use the GPS and go off of memory. Let's just say I'm not ready for that."  
  
Lydia laughed and turned on the oven for Mer.   
  
"Oh, and get this. I couldn't reach the corn." Mer laughed as she told her the story of having to accept a stranger's help.  
  
"Was he flirting?" Lydia inquired with an eye brow wiggle which made Mer blush.   
  
"No, I don't think so. I'm terrible at picking up cues. I guess I never really paid attention. I never knew if I was going to be in a place long enough to keep a steady boyfriend, and I've never been into the idea of going through them like underwear."  
  
Lydia laughed at her statement and smile warmly at her. "Well, you have a forever home now. Maybe you can see if anyone tickles your fancy."  
  
Mer rolled her eyes and laughed. "We'll see, mom."   
  
"Well, was he at least handsome?" Lydia inquired, with a slight smirk on her face.  
  
Mer blushed and stopped what she was doing and turned to Lydia. "Yeah..I'll give you that."

The doorbell interrupted their conversation and Mer turned to Lydia.   
  
"Do you need me to get that?" She asked her new mother. Lydia's eyes widened slightly as she quickly turned to Mer.  
  
"Ah, shoot. I forgot to tell you that Simon's friend is coming for dinner. He lost his wife a few months ago and is finally starting to get back out into the world so Simon thought it would be good for him to have a home cooked meal. I am so sorry that I forgot to tell you."  
  
"Oh, that's fine. This recipe makes plenty of food." She could hear Simon's voice welcoming his guest as the voices got closer.  
  
"Hey, Mer. I want you to meet my friend." Mer turned too quickly, knocking one of the cans off of the counter, sending it rolling.  
  
"Oh, shoot!" She exclaimed as she looked down and watched it stop at a man's feet. He bent down to pick it up, laughing.  
  
"How many times to have I have to get this corn for you today?" Her head shot up and she locked eyes with Negan.  
  
"Negan.." she said as Lydia stepped beside her.   
  
"Oh, so, THIS is the handsome man that helped you today."  
  
Negan laughed and raised an eye brow as he handed Mer the corn.   
  
"Handsome, huh?"  
  
Mer's face turned red as she closed her eyes and took a breath.   
  
"Dinner will be ready in twenty." She said as she quickly turned and headed away from the handsome man standing in her kitchen and her...parents.


	2. Dinner for Four

"This is delicious," Negan said as he looked across the table at Mer.  
  
Mer smiled warmly as she nodded.   
  
"Thank you. I haven't made this in forever, so I was hoping that it would be good."  
  
"You did good, honey." She looked over at Simon as he gave her a compliment and grinned back at him.  
  
"So, Mer. What do you do?"  
  
Mer finished chewing her food before replying to Negan.  
  
"I'm actually a senior in high school. I graduate in a few months. I wanted to take up an after school job, but these two won't let me." She said shooting a playful glare towards Lydia.  
  
"Well, we told you that we want you to focus on the rest of school. It's hard transferring to a different high school so close to the end of your senior year. We can take care of things around here." Lydia replied to Mer, giving her her a loving smile.  
  
Negan watched Mer's mouth break out into a smile before asking another question.   
  
"How old are you? When Simon told me that he brought a kid into the home, I was picturing an eight year old."  
  
Mer laughed, "I'm eighteen. I should have graduated last year, but so many school transfers messed my credits up and I got held back a year. No big deal."   
  
Negan watched her as she talked, taking in her pretty eyes and the way her lips looked so inviting. He probably shouldn't be checking out his best friend's new daughter but she was so damn intoxicating.  
  
"So, Negan," Lydia said and the took a sip of her drink. "How are you? When do you return back to work?"  
  
Negan shifted in his seat uncomfortably, "I'm good. Got mostly situated at the new house, still some stuff to put away that is sitting in boxes in the spare bed room. I actually start work back tomorrow."  
  
Simon's eyes widened, "Oh yeah? Do you think you're ready for that?"   
  
Negan sighed and rubbed his face.  
  
"Honestly, yeah. I need to get out and get back into a routine."  
  
Mer continued eating while she sat there listening to the conversation.  
  
"What do you do?" She asked when they were done.  
  
Negan looked over the table at her, "I'm the coach at one of the high schools."  
  
"Oh, are you and Dad co-coaches?" Negan and Simon looked at each other and laughed. Negan noticing how Simon's eyes lit up a little more when Mer called him dad.  
  
"No, actually. He's at Alexandria. I'm at Sanctuary High."   
  
Mer's eyes widened. "That's where I'm starting tomorrow!"   
  
Negan almost choked on his drink and looked over at Simon, confused.  
  
"You couldn't get her in at Alexandria?"  
  
Simon sighed, "No, I tried. The Board of Education is really hitting everyone hard and enforcing school zones, and unfortunately, we are in your zone."  
  
Negan nodded. "Makes sense. Well, Mer, I think you'll like it there. It's a good school."   
  
Simon smiled at Mer while replying to Negan.   
  
"It does make me feel better that you're going back to work tomorrow, Negan. I feel better when I know that Mer has someone there that can look out for her if need be."  
  
Mer rolled her eyes lovingly, but secretly her heart sped up knowing that there was a chance that she could see more of Negan that didn't involve sitting around with her parents.

\-----------  
"Well, that was delicious, but I should probably get going so that I can get things ready for tomorrow." Negan announced as they were finishing up cleaning the kitchen.  
  
"I really do appreciate you all having me over for dinner. And Mer, that was seriously good. You definitely know your way around the kitchen."   
  
She laughed as she tied up the garbage bag in the can. "Glad you could make it, Negan. Thanks for all of your help with the corn."   
  
Negan laughed and leaned over to give Lydia a hug.  
  
"Don't be a stranger, Negan. It's good to see you laugh," Mer could hear her mother say to Negan.   
  
Negan smiled, "I won't Lyds. I'll see you soon."  
  
"Here, I'll walk you out." Simon said as he opened the door for Negan.  
  
"Wait, Dad. I can. I'm going to run this out to the garbage can and take them down to the end of the driveway."  
  
"Are you sure, Mer?" Simon asked and Mer smiled and nodded, "Positive."  
  
She slid on her shoes by the door while Negan waited for her and they left the house, Negan closing the door behind them.   
  
"Where are the cans at?" Negan asked as he looked around.  
  
"Side of the house. Wanna walk with me?" Mer asked as she looked up at him.   
  
Negan looked down into her eyes and grinned. "Yeah, of course."  
  
"So, how old are you?" Mer asked and Negan laughed at her random question while she threw the bag into one of the cans.  
  
"I'm 37..little younger than your dad and mom."  
  
Mer nodded as they each grabbed a can and pulled them down the driveway.   
  
He let a moment of silence pass before asking speaking again. "Why? Do I look old?"  
  
Mer looked up at him and laughed. "Not at all. You look good."  
  
"Oh, I look good? Handsome man at the grocery store saving the day and now I look good."  
  
It was dark out but he could have sworn on his life that he saw her cheeks slightly redden.  
  
"Oh, I didn't mean.." She said and Negan quickly put his hand over his heart and leaned back when the stopped at the end of the driveway.  
  
"Oh, Meredith. You're killing me here. Now I'm ugly?"  
  
Mer pushed him gently as they turned to walk back to his truck.  
  
"I didn't mean that," she said, suddenly becoming a little more bold, "I could probably say a lot more, but you're my dad's best friend..plus..apparently a teacher at my school and those rules are usually pretty strict."  
  
Negan grinned at her as he opened the door to his truck.  
  
"Thank you again for tonight. Maybe I can score another invite for your cooking one day."  
  
He opened his arms and she stepped in for a hug. "Of course. Goodnight Negan."  
  
"Goodnight Mer." He got in and shut his truck door as he watched her walk to her door.  
  
"Hey, Mer." He called out after rolling the window down. She turned around and raised and eye brow at him.  
  
"What's the fun in having rules if they aren't sometimes broken?"   
  
Mer grinned at him before laughing and turning around towards the house again. He made sure she got inside and shook his head at himself while he backed out of the driveway.


	3. First Day

"Do you have everything you need?" Lydia asked as Mer rinsed her breakfast plate off in the sink. 

"Yes ma'am. Dad is going to drop me off early before he heads to work. They have my schedule waiting on me in the office and someone will show me around before classes start so that I have a general idea of what I'm doing."

Lydia touched Mer's arm, hearing the slight wave in her voice from nerves. 

"How many times have you change schools, Mer?" 

Mer turned the water flow from the kitchen sink off and dried her hands before turning around. 

"Nine. You would think that I would be used to it by now."

Lydia pulled her daughter into a hug and breathed in her warmth. "I promise you. You're safe here. You're going to be perfectly fine." 

Mer smiled as she pulled away and nodded. "I know. Just ready to get through today." 

"Are you ready?" Mer and Lydia turned to the entrance of the kitchen where Simon had just appeared. 

"Ready as I'll ever be," Mer replied as she picked up her backpack from a kitchen chair. 

"Good luck, Mer. I'll pick you up after school today. I get off work about 3 so I should be there shortly after." Lydia told her as she walked them to the door. 

Mer turned and gave her mother a hug and nodded. "I'll see you then."

She stood there by the open door as Simon leaned in to give Lydia a kiss. 

"Love you both!" The older woman said to them as they responded with the same answer. 

Mer thought about how nice it was to hear such simple words every day. She wasn't used to that and almost felt embarassed the first few times that they told her that they loved her. She uderstood it now , though. And it was nice. She felt needed and wanted for the first time in her life.

"You okay over there?" Simon asked as Mer buckled her seatbelt and he started his truck. 

"I'm good. I'm nervous about school today, but honestly, I'm happy. Really happy. I can't remember the last time that I felt this happy and safe. You and Mom are the reason for that and I know it's been a transition, but thank you. I'm not sure that I tell you both that enough." 

Simon stopped at the stop sign at the end of the road and turned to Mer. 

"I had no idea that you existed. I had no idea that you were my girl, but I swear Mer, it's like you've always been mine. You will always be my girl." 

Mer blinked away a few tears and reached over to grab Simon's hand. 

"Love you dad." 

No response was needed except the slight squeeze that Simon gave Mer's hand as he held it the whole way to her new school. 

\-----------  
"Well, Meredith. You are all ready to go. Here is your schedule," her new Assistant Principal told her as she gave her a printed off piece of paper with a list of class rooms and times. 

Mer's eyes read down the list in front of her, calming her nerves as she went ahead and tried to memorize the names. 

The door chime went off behind her as someone came into the office. 

"Hey Mer!" She turned quickly when she heard Negan's voice. 

"Hey, Negan.." She said, her nerves once again making themselves apparent. 

"Do you two know each other already?" The assistant principal asked as she finished closing Mer's file. 

"We do. My best friend is her dad." Negan answered as he walked past Mer and behind the deak. "Who is showing her around?"

Mer read the lady's tag as she, Olivia, spoke to Negan. 

"I have a phone meeting but then I'll take her around. She may be late to first period, but I'll make sure that it doesn't count against her. By the way, Negan, it's really good to see you back. The kids have really missed you and really hated their sub." 

Negan laughed and thanked her before turning to Mer, who was looking directly at him. Ignoring the rise in his heart beat just from looking at the girl, he turned back to Olivia. 

"Hey, I have planning first period, which I've had the past couple of months to do. I don't have anything going on and since I already know Meredith, I don't mind showing her around." 

Olivia looked over to Mer and back to Negan. 

"Yeah, if you don't mind, that would be great. Thank you, Negan. Meredith," she said now, looking at the girl who just shakily let out a breath that she didn't know that she was even holding. "I hope that you have a great day. Please let me know if you need ANYTHING and I will do my best to help."

"I will," Mer replied with a smile. "thank you." 

"Come on, Mer." Negan said as he came back around the desk and opened the door. He held a hand out for her to go before him. "Ladies first." 

"Chivalry," Negan thought to himself as he looked down at the details on the back of the blue jean shorts that she was wearing. "Chivalry,my ass."

Negan showed her to where her locker is, along with the rest of her classes. The halls had started filling up with kids as they arrived to school and Negan walked her to her first class. She tried to ignore the stares and looks that she was getting, choosing to focus on her deep breaths and Negan's words to calm her down."

"Mer," He asked as they rounded a corner, walking down a hall way that wasn't quite as busy. "Are you okay?" 

Mer tried to avoid his eyes as she looked around and hoisted her back pack up higher on her shoulder. 

"I'm scared shitless right now. I don't know why." 

She found Negan's eyes finally. "I've done this so many times. I don't know why I'm so scared."

"It's normal," He replied before stepping forward and looking around. He reached down and gently grabbed her hand, making her eyes light up a little.  
"I showed you where my office and the gym are. Come there anytime you need to. You're gonna be fine, I promise." 

Mer took a deep breath and sighed. "Yeah, thanks. Sorry, I'm just being dumb." 

"No, you're not." Negan said as he heard a rush of students voices coming, so he quickly let go of her hand. "You're tough. Go kick some ass." 

Mer laughed, "I thought fighting was against the rules too, Negan." 

Negan grinned at her, happy to see her smiling. "What did I tell you about rules, Meredith? Do you not listen to anything that I say?" 

Mer smirked as the bell went off, indicating that it was time to go to class. 

"See ya later, Negan. Thanks." She said as she turned to finish the walk to her first class. 

\-----------  
The class bell of the day rang and Mer packed her books into her bag while she watched the kids eagerly leave the room.   
She got up and walked out the door, barely making it out when she heard a "BOO!" to her left.

"SHIT!" She yelled as she dropped her back pack that she hadn't fully secured onto her back yet. 

"Oh, fuck, Mer. I'm sorry." Negan said with a laugh as he bent down to get her bag. 

"Seriously, Negan. You should know by now how clumsy I am." Mer said with a laugh as Negan handed her the bag back.

"I guess I need to be around you more to make it sink in to my mind." Negan said with a grin as Mer blushed. 

"Do you normally scare people on their first day or is that special treatment?" 

Negan laughed at her question. "Special treatment. Your mom is stuck pulling a double at the hospital. Your dad has parent-teacher conferences at his school for the next few hours. They asked if I could give you a ride home."

Mer's stomach went in knots at the thought of riding with Negan in his truck alone. 

"Oh yeah? How am I supposed to get in? Dad was supposed to get me a key made today."

Negan looked down at her and laughed. "That, I don't know. Let me see if I can get ahold of them." 

They walked down the hallway in silence as Negan tried to contact her parents.

"Well," Negan said as they stepped outside and walked toward his truck parked in the faculty parking lot. "It looks like you're stuck with me for the next few hours."

Mer tried to hide the big grin that spread across her face, but Negan saw it and his was just as wide.


	4. Spaghetti and Confessions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been a little bit for the update! Had family in town and couldn't really write.  
> Here's a long chapter. Hope that you enjoy it!!

"Thank You," Mer said as she got settled in Negan's truck. He grinned before shutting her door and made his way around to the driver's side and climbed in. 

Negan took a deep breath as he started up the truck and started to drive through the faculty parking lot. 

"May I?" Mer asked after a few moments of silent. He looked her way to notice that she was ponting towards his radio. "I absolutely love this song." 

Negan nodded, "Yeah, turn it up as loud as you want. Good stuff." 

_Dear wind of Mississippi, can you call him by name?_  
_I have followed his wings on a sunny day._  
_I like to believe he is the chosen one._  
_I like to believe he is the fallen one._  
_Dead but rising..._

"You listen to Volbeat?" Negan asked, eye brows raised in suprise. 

"Favorite band. Why? Does that surprise you?" Mer asked with a laugh. 

"Actually, yeah. Not many people in this small town know who they are. How'd you get into them?" 

Negan asked as he slowed the truck down for a red light.

"My old foster brother. If you knew him, you'd see why I was surprised that HE listened to them. He's such a chill guy. He and his boyfriend Eric used to let me hang out with them..escape the hell that we were forced to call home. They got me into Volbeat and a few other bands."

Negan pressed the gas pedal to continue their way to his house. He glanced over and watched Mer shift in her seat and tuck her hair behind her ear. He let his eyes wander down her body, down her legs. She was so normal. Not pale, but not tan. Average build. Beautiful without even trying , without even knowing, really. 

"Eyes on the road, Negan." Mer said as she continued to look straight ahead. 

Negan's face turned red as they both busted out laughing. 

"You still talk to your foster brother?" Negan asked as he continued driving.

"Aaron. And yes, I do. We e-mail back and forth. I wish that I could see him and Eric one day. They moved about a year ago to Virginia. When shit blew up with Aaron's parents, they got as far away as they could. I don't blame them. His parents were close-minded."

Negan nodded and rolled down his window. "Do you mind if I smoke?"

Mer shrugged and smiled, "Go ahead. Your lungs, not mine."

Negan laughed as he pulled a cigarette out of the pack and held it between his lips as he lit it up. Inhaling the smoke and exhaling the stresses of his work day. 

"What blew up?" Negan asked before he took another drag of the cigarette in his left hand. "With Aaron's parents.."

Mer chuckled and turned a little more towards Negan, bending her left leg and bringig it up into the seat. 

"Well, he was living with his parents still when I got sent to their house. He was in college and working, but still living with his parents, saving up towards a house. They didn't know that Eric was his boyfriend. They would flip. Very closed-minded, strict, men and women belong together only kind of people. Would have been devastated if their only child was gay. They thought Aaron and Eric were best friends and in a lot of the same classes. Which, they were, but they were much more than that. 'Study buddies' they called them. It's funny because they really did study anatomy..in detail.." Mer looked at Negan and dramatically winked. 

Negan laughed and rolled his eyes . "Continue, perv."

Mer laughed with him, continuing her story, 

"Well, I was home alone with his parents one day. His mom was in a crazy mood and I saw her go into Aaron's room. She came out a few minutes later yelling to Aaron's dad about a box of condoms she found. She was screaming and crying about how her baby didn't need to be having sex and that she was going to kick him out unless he brought her home to meet them and decided to marry her."

Negan laughed loudly. "Wow. What kind of teenage boy isn't going to try to get his dick wet when he can in college."

"Romantic word usage." Mer said before rolling her eyes and laughing. "

She took in the scenery around her as they pulled up at a house. It seemed to be in the middle of nowhere with no neighbors in sight.  
Huge porch wrapped around a beautiful log cabin. She grinned because this house suited Negan. Lots of land, quiet. 

Shutting the truck off, he unbuckled and turned to her. "Continue."

"Right. Anyway, I was able to get to Aaron before they did when he came home. Gave him quick run down. He was scared shitless on what to say to her. He didn't know what to do but he couldn't tell her about Eric. They would cut his college funding and he and Eric had a plan. Hide it until he graduated then they could start their own life, whether Aaron's parents were there for it or not. The fear in his eyes made me realize I needed to do something. I heard his mom walking toward's his bedroom door and I just did something..."

Negan cocked his head slightly. "Did you kill her?"

Mer busted out laughing and shook her head, "No. I kissed him. I knew she wouldn't knock. She didn't. She walked in to us sitting on his bed kissing. Asssumed it was me that he was having sex with, did a lot of yelling about how I took advantage of her innocent baby and that I wasn't welcome there anymore. I was picked up by my case worker within the hour."

Negan looked at her. "You lost a home because you wanted to protect him?" 

Mer nodded, looking a little sad.

"Yeah, I guess so. He wasn't ready and that's not something that anyone should be forced to share if they aren't. He's a great guy. I was able to contact him through e-mail a few months later and we keep in touch that way now. He graduated about a year ago and came out to his parents. As we knew they would, they flipped and disowned him but he and Eric are very happy and living an amazing life together."

Negan stared in amazement at Mer. She was so selfless.

"How old were you?"

Mer's eyebrowns went together as she thought for a minute, doing the math in her head. 

"Almost 16. He was 19."

"Wow, Mer. You're something else.."

She let out a nervous laugh as she opened the door to get out of the truck. She didn't like being the center of attention, going to her default plan of changing the subject. 

"You gonna show me around, Negan, or do I have to go find my way around this place?" 

Negan jumped out of the truck and shut the door loudly behind him.

"Ladies first."

\-------------------------------------------------------  
Negan gave Mer the tour around the house, starting downstairs with the half bathroom, kitchen, dining room, and living room. Mer listened and took everything in as she looked around. The dark couch and love seat that angled toward the tv hanging above the mantle. Dark kitchen table and chairs sat alone in the dining room, looking like they rarely held guests. The kitchen was open and Mer couldn't help but smile as she walked around the huge island in the middle. The cabinets were a dark gray with white accents and she loved the way the cool marble counters felt under her fingertips. 

"The inside of this house doesn't match the outside.." 

Mer said as she looked at Negan over her shoulder.

"Yeah, that's what drew me to it, honestly. I have my outdoorsy feeling outside and a little more modern inside. Best of both worlds and a helluva price."

Mer turned around and bumped right into Negan's chest, not realizing how close he had gotten to her. He grapped her arms to steady her and she shivered slightly as she felt his hands slide down her arms. Her blue eyes held his dark ones. 

Smirking, she let her eyes look away as they landed on the stairs that came off of the side of the living room. 

"You gonna show me upstairs?"

Negan grinned, pulling his bottom lip in between his teeth. "Yeah, let's go."

Negan showed Mer the master and guest bathrooms and bedrooms. Negan leaned against the doorway as he watched her walk around his bedroom, not quite sure if his body would not be able to react with having her that close to his bed if he followed her in there. 

He shifted uncomfortably as he watched her walk past a box that was stuck in the corner. On top laid a picture of his... wife. It caught Mer's eye and she looked down at it, then looked up at Negan. 

"Is this.."

"You hungry?" 

Negan interrupted, acting like he didn't hear the beginning of the question he knew she was about to ask. 

Mer noticed but played it off. 

"Yeah, food sounds great."

Negan nodded and looked away, aiming his eyes down the hallway at nothing imparticular before turning back to Mer, who was still standing in the corner of his room. 

"Well, I'll make spaghetti. Let me get out of these work clothes though. Meet you downstairs?"

Mer nodded quickly.

"Sounds great."

She started to walk across his room and Negan turned so that she could fit through the door way past him. She slightly squeezed his arm as she walked by and looked up at him, giving him a smile so small that he probably wouldn't have been able to see if he wasn't as close to her as he was.

\-------------------

Mer made her way back downstairs and sat down on the living room couch. She kicked her shoes off as she looked around, wondering why she was really here. Yeah, she had no way of being inside her house really, but was it just that? Did she have feelings for Negan? She interrupted her own thoughts when something resting on the mantle caught her eye. 

She got up and walked over to it, arching an eye brow as she realized what it was. A baseball bat. Wrapped in..barbed wire? What the hell?

"That's my girl."

Mer spun around quickly when she heard Negan's voice right behind her.

"Shit, could you have snuck up on me any quieter?"

Negan's laughter filled the room. 

"Damn, you're pretty, but you have a mouth on you."

Mer blushed and walked past him toward the kitchen. 

"What can I help you with for dinner?"

They cooked dinner together, foot steps dancing around each other as they laughed. Dinner went well, Negan bragging on himself a few times, about how he made the "best damn spaghetti in the south." Mer lost track at how many times she rolled her eyes, but honestly, she had to agree with the man. Best. Damn. Spaghetti. EVER.

\-----------------

"What time are they picking me up?" 

Mer asked as she dried the last of the dishes. She insisted on washing the dishes up for him, but he fought her on it. They finally settled with him washing and her drying them. They got into a quiet routine and was done pretty quickly.

"7 ish. I think." Negan responding, looking over at the stove and reading the clock. 6:02.

"Wanna go sit outside?" Negan asked as he dried off his hands and tossed the hand towel on the counter.

"Yeah, sure." Mer said as she followed him towards the back door. 

Negan grabbed a beer out of the fridge after asking Mer if she wanted anything to drink. Mer sat down on the back porch swing and got settled, tucking her feet under her as she looked at the beautiful scenery in front of her. Acres of nothing but fields and the setting sun projected a beautiful orange glow over the feeding cows and land.

"Technically my neighbor's pasture, but you can't see his house from here. I love it out here and this is one of the main reasons. Pictures and paintings don't do this kind of scenery justice. It's something you have to experience for yourself to appreciate it."  
He sat down beside her before he started talking, causing the porch swing to rock a little from the motion. Mer looked at him while he talked, watching his lips move before following his eyes in the direction they were looking.

"Yeah, it's beautiful. I have never seen anything like it." 

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Negan spoke up.

"Did you enjoy your first day?" 

He asked before taking a sip of his beer. Closing his eyes as he swallowed, enjoying the cool rush down his throat.

"Yeah, it was good. Not horrible. Until some jackass scared the shit out of me at the end of the day." 

Negan laughed at the memory. 

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. That was definitely unintentional.

"Sure, sure it was." Mer said jokingly, nudging Negan's shoulders with her own. 

Negan smirked down at her before lifting his arm, resting it over the back of the porch swing. 

"Wanna play a game?" 

Mer suddenly asked, shifting a little more towards Negan. She was turned directly towards him now and her shoulder was rested against his arm. 

"What kind of game?" Negan asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Uh, well not really a game. Just getting to know each other..I tell you something about me, you tell me something about you. Not boring stuff though, good stuff. Stuff you don't normally talk about."

Negan laughed before turning a little more towards the girl sitting beside him.

"What's so funny?" Mer asked, suddenly embarassed that this was a stupid idea. 

"Nothing. It's just that this is the first high schoolish thing you've said. Let's spill all of our secrets." 

Mer laughed before pushing his chest slightly with her small hand.

"Shut up. Nevermind. We don't have to. I just thought that we could..."

"Shit, Mer. I'm joking. Let's do it. I want to get to know you."

Mer blushed at his words but shook it off quickly. 

"Okay, I'll start off first. Something pretty simple first. Let's see....For the first time in my life, I finally feel like I belong somewhere with Simon and Lydia. "

Negan grinned, knowing that Simon and Lydia absolutely adored the girl that sat in front of him. 

"They love you. You never have to worry about that, Meredith. I promise you. Okay, my turn...My mom was, and is still, my angel. She passed away about ten years ago. My dad and I finally had our last fighting match when I was 17. He laid his hands on her and I had enough. He left and I don't know where he is. Don't care. She deserved the best and he wasn't it. I don't take kindly too men hitting on women. There's no place for that in this world, especially around me."

Mer reached over and laid her hand on Negan's thigh. 

"I'm sorry, Negan. Good for you, though." 

Negan looked down at her hand back up at her, making eye contact with her. What was this girl thinking? Did she hear his heart pounding every time she touched him? 

Mer pulled her hand back before speaking. 

"Okay, more detailed....I have no idea what I want to do when I graduate. None. Mom and Dad just want me to at least get into college and start core classes, but I worry about letting them down." 

Negan looked at her, noticing the genuine worry in her eyes. 

"Mer, you're not going to let them down. They are so proud of you no matter what. Just do what they ask, but make sure that it's what you want to. You don't have to do things to pacify everyone else all of the time. You're your own person and you're finally in a place that you can embrace that. Do it. You're incredible and you're going to do incredible things."

Meredith grinned as she listened to Negan's little pep talk. 

"They have just been so open and warm to me. I just want to make them proud."

"You already do. I promise."

Mer nodded, looking out at the view again. "Your turn."

Negan sighed, trying to think of something to tell her. 

"Your dad is one of my best friends. Has been for years. Our teams are actually huge rivals, but it makes it fun. We shit talk on game days and end it by getting drunk and raising enough hell that I swear every time, Lydia is going to ban me from Simon for good..but she doesn't. She has the patience of a saint. I'm sure you've picked up on that by now. I honestly don't know what I would do without those two. They are Heaven sent and I'll beat the hell out of anyone that ever argues that."

Mer laughed at Negan's love profession and nodded. "I agree. They are absolutely amazing people. I'm really lucky to have them. They really, really saved me."

"Yeah, Mer...but you saved them too. They needed you just as much as you needed them."

Negan took a sip of his beer and then quickly choked on it when Mer suddenly said her next confession.

"I've never had a proper first kiss."

Negan regained his composure before looking at her. 

"No shit?" He asked, surprised by her words.

"Yeah, Aaron was my first and only, but kissing your in the closet foster brother to protect him isn't the way I imagined my first kiss going."

Negan laughed, "Well, it made for a hell of a story."

Mer chuckled before shrugging, "Yeah, I guess it did. Haven't really told anyone else that, though. Just you. Different foster homes and different schools was enough stress, didn't have time for guys.  
"  
Negan looked surprised. "Really? Well, don't I feel fucking special that you decided to tell me."

Mer stuck her tongue out at him, making him laugh.

He then told her something that kept buried within. Something that hadn't made it's way out of his mouth...ever. He didn't know why he told her, why he even wanted to tell her, but he did.

"My wife cheated on me."

Mer froze, not knowing what to say, and Negan continued.

"We were college sweethearts. Best friends, first true loves. We got married in college and survived it together. We got jobs, me as a coach, and her as an office manager of a local insurance business. We were doing great, honestly. Living the life, as they say. I guess we both knew that it was going downhill about two years before the fallout but we both didn't want it to, so we avoided it. About a year and a half ago, after 12 years of marriage, I found out. She left her phone on the bed while she was showering. We were going to her mom's house that night for dinner, so when I heard her phone go off, I didn't think anything of it when I grabbed it. I thought her mom was going to ask us to pick up a bottle of wine or a dessert. Nope. It was him..some guy she had been fucking for a few months. He was texting her to make sure that she made it home okay and telling her that he and his dick missed her, even though they spent all weekend inside of her. I thought she was at training for work that weekend. She got out and I blew up. I kicked her out, and she still ended up at her mom's that night, just not the way that we intended. We didn't tell anyone, and Simon is the only one that knows she cheated even to this day, but we lived our separate lives for a couple of weeks. I just couldn't bring myself to file for divorce. She showed up at the school one day at the end of the day, asking if she could talk to me..."

Negan felt Meredith's hand on his arm, as she pulled it down from the back of the porch swing. Gripping his hand in hers. It wasn't until then that he noticed that he was crying. 

"Sorry.."

"No." Mer said softly. "Go on. If you want.."

Negan hesitated before nodding,

"Anyway. We went back to my..our..house and talked. She had just been diagnosed with stage four cancer. She had called it quits with that man, but wasn't asking me to take her back. She said the doctor said she could try to fight, but he wasn't being very optimistic. I was her best friend before anything and that's what she needed. I knew she was right. That's why we both stayed. We loved each other but we weren't in love anymore..but we both cared too much to fully call it quits. Messed up, I know. She argued with me on it, but I used up our savings account trying everything we possibly could to save her. She fought like hell for about a year. She really did, but she just couldn't do it. She died four months ago. I took some time off of work, sold our house and bought this one. I was technically still married to her, but she wasn't really my wife. We had been over for a couple of years, but she was the first and we both didn't want to give that up. I lost my best friend, though, two different ways, and it fucking sucks."

Negan stopped talking and they both just sat there, her hand still holding his. He looked over at her when he heard her sniffling, noticing that she had tears falling from her face. 

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have put all that on you..."

She cut him off when she launched forward at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close for a hug. 

"You..You are such a good man, Negan. Do not EVER let anyone else tell you that. Promise me."

Negan laughed. "Yeah, right..."

"I'm serious, Negan." Mer said as she pulled away and looked at him. "Promise me."

"Okay, Mer. I promise.."

Negan's phone ring tone blaring made them both flinch, causing Mer to back up and sit back down. She wiped her face quickly as Negan pulled his phone out of his pocket. 

Simon.

"Simon says?" Negan said into the phone after he accepted the call. He looked over at Mer, grinning when heard her laugh.

"Five minutes? Okay, Yeah, see you then."

Negan hung up and sighed, looking at Mer. "He's almost here."

Mer nodded and got up, Negan following her back into the house. They were reaching the door when Negan grabbed her arm and she turned towards him. He quickly stepped towards her, backing her into the wall. Bringing his hand up to cup the side of her face, he looked in her eyes for any hesitation or protest. Bending down, he pressed his lips to hers. He felt her hands gripping at his sides as he ran his tongue along her lips, asking for access. She slightly parted her mouth and gripped his sides tighter as their tongues caressed each other. They explored for a minute before pulling away and he smiled as he stood there and watched her, leaned up against the wall and eyes still closed, breathing hard. 

"There. You've had your proper first kiss."

Negan winked and grabbed her hand, pulling her into the house.

Mer shakily tied her shoes in the living room, adrenaline still rushing through her body from their kiss. She heard Simon's foot steps on the front porch before he even reached the door.

"Hey, man. I really appreciate it." She heard him say from behind her and she stood up.

"Hey, dad."

Mer said as she threw her bag over her shoulder and went to give the man a hug.

"Thanks for letting me crash your afternoon, Negan." 

She said as she met the man's dark eyes. 

"Anytime, Meredith. See you tomorrow."

She grinned at him as Simon said goodbye and she followed him out of Negan's house.


End file.
